The Capital continued to feel the heat of the Jat reservation stir on Sunday as hundreds of agitators blocked roads and forcefully shut shops in several parts of Delhi. Traffic jams, due to blocked roads, were seen in Rohini, Najafgarh, Narela, Nangloi and Timarpur and the ripple effects were felt in several adjoining areas.
Najafgarh was the worst hit as markets and businesses were not allowed to open at all and residents were unable to procure essential items.
“Our men are deployed at all major intersections in Najafgarh to ensure there is no vehicular movement. We won’t indulge in violence, but we won’t allow normal life to go on either until our demands are met,” said Karambir Singh, a Jat leader at Tura Mandi in Najafgarh.
“Minor skirmishes” between the police and protesters were reported from some areas, but the police played safe by remaining mute spectators to the happenings. Though the protesters were armed with lathis at several spots, no violence was reported, said the police.
At one time, some protesters threatened to storm into Pitampura metro station, forcing the police to shut the gates for a while. Otherwise, the agitating jats sat on the roads smoking hookah and playing cards.
From tractors to cars and from wooden logs to boulders, the agitators used everything they could lay their hands on to block traffic. They targeted strategic locations such as Madhuban Chowk and Ramdev Chowk to leave an impact. The traffic police updated commuters about affected routes on social media as they tried to divert traffic to tackle the situation.
Many local residents in these affected areas were caught unawares as they had to get off the public transports at the point of protests and walk long distances to their homes. The protesters showed little mercy to anyone.
To bring some relief to the stranded passengers at many of these spots, the government arranged for the distribution of tea and biscuits. The District Magistrate (North Delhi) said arrangements had also been made to accommodate 150 such commuters inside a memorial hall in Alipur.
An advisory that advised people to keep away from NH-8, connecting Delhi and Jaipur, for 24 hours beginning Sunday, was revised when the road was opened in the evening. However, NH-1 and NH-10 are unlikely to open in the next 48 hours, said the advisory.
